VIS

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

VIS
Stands forVictim impact statement
Meanings2
CategoriesLaw & Legal, Geography & Places
Also writtenVis

VIS has two meanings. It stands for Victim impact statement (criminal law) or Vista (address).

Meanings of VIS at a glance

#VIS stands forContext
1Victim impact statementLaw & Legal › Criminal Law
2VistaGeography & Places › Address

1. Victim impact statement

Law & Legal · Criminal Law Abbreviations

Written or oral statement by a crime victim or the victim's family describing the physical, emotional and financial effects of the crime, presented to the court before sentencing. It gives victims a voice in the process and can influence the sentence.

Example: The widow read her VIS aloud, describing the 30 years she had shared with her husband.

All states and the federal system give victims a right to be heard at sentencing, including under the federal Crime Victims' Rights Act of 2004. Payne v. Tennessee (1991) held that victim impact evidence is admissible in capital sentencing. Statements may also be presented at parole hearings.

2. Vista (Vis)

Geography & Places · Address Abbreviations

View or prospect, from Spanish and Italian, used widely in street names in California and the Southwest; USPS abbreviates Vista as VIS.

Example: The rental is at 18 Mesa Vis, Santa Fe.

Vista also appears in place names such as Chula Vista and Buena Vista. In aviation weather reports VIS abbreviates visibility.

More criminal law abbreviations

  • 5K – Substantial assistance departure (U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1)
  • ACD – Adjournment in contemplation of dismissal
  • ADW – Assault with a deadly weapon
  • ARD – Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition
  • B&E – Breaking and entering
  • BOP – Federal Bureau of Prisons
  • BW – Bench warrant
  • CDS – Controlled dangerous substance

See all 46 criminal law abbreviations →

More address abbreviations

  • Trlr – Trailer
  • Uppr – Upper
  • URB – Urbanización (urbanization)
  • US – United States Numbered Highway
  • Vlg – Village
  • Vw – View
  • Xing – Crossing
  • Xrd – Crossroad

See all 118 address abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.